BUSINESS CONTINUITY ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

This assessment checklist will help you put your business continuity plan together. T
assessment has been split into sections for ease of reference. Document relevant
details/information/procedures and you will then have a business continuity plan. Not a
the questions may be relevant to your business.

Do you have evacuation procedures for your buildings?

Are the fire exits clearly marked and fire procedures in place? Do you regularly practice fire
drills?
Do you have primary and secondary evacuation points at a suitable distance away from the
building(s)?
Do you have a site plan of your building(s)?
Do you have generator backup systems in place?
Do you have an alternative building to use in an emergency?
i.e. where your business or critical elements of your business could continue to operate from
Do you check on a regular basis that the heating and air conditioning is working?
Have you familiarised yourself and your staff with the location of the mains switches and
valves (electricity, gas, water)?
Do you carry out end of day inspections i.e. to check everybody has left?
At the end of the working day do you have procedures in place to make sure that all applia
are switched off and doors and windows are locked?
Do you regularly check the integrity of external fences and doors?

PERSONNEL
Have you got a list of all employee contact telephone numbers and home addresses?
Do your staff know who is in charge in the time of a crisis?
Have your staff been given specific roles in the event of a crisis?
If your business could not operate from its present location could your staff work from an
alternative location, or some of them work from home etc?
Do you have members of staff with first aid or medical training?

SECURITY
Is there a security system installed? Do you have a security policy?
Do you give advice or training on security? Do you check references fully?
Are contractors checked fully (i.e. company as well as each individual)?

PAPER AND ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

Do you copy/back up your information?
Do you store your critical paper documents in fire/waterproof containers?
Do you have copies of critical accounts and contracts at a separate location?
Is someone responsible for the upkeep of your files and accounts?

IT
Are your IT systems critical to the running of your business?
If your IT systems went down do you have manual processes that could maintain critical
documentary/administrative functions?
IT (continued)
Do you know how long it would take to recover IT functions if your system went down?
Who would restore your system if it went down and do you have their contact details?
Do you have a tested IT disaster recovery plan? Is your computer anti-virus software up to da
Are documented IT security policies and procedures in place?
Are all your computer users fully aware of email and internet usage policies?
Is your company system part of a larger network?
Do you know how many platforms/servers/applications or operating systems support critical
business functions?
Is expertise of how to use your IT system, knowledge of where critical documents are
electronically stored etc, limited to one individual?
Do you have vital computer information stored on back up discs held off premises?

SUPPLIERS
Do you have alternative suppliers for critical equipment/ stores/ parts/ goods/ products etc?
Do you have an arrangement with your critical suppliers where they will inform you if they
cannot make a delivery?
Do your suppliers have a business continuity plan?
Do you have your suppliers correct contact details – both office hours and out of office hours?

COMPANY EQUIPMENT
Do you have someone accountable for the assets of your company? Do you have an inventory
and is it regularly checked?
Do you have controls over the movements of your company equipment?

CUSTOMERS
Do you have the correct contact details for all your main customers?
Do you have any key customers who you will need to be in constant contact with during a cris

LOCATION
Have you thought about the types of risk that might occur due to the actions/operations of ot
businesses near to you?
Have you thought about the types of risk associated with the environment i.e. flooding from
nearby river, snow, severe weather etc?

INSURANCE
Do you have sufficient insurance to pay for disruption to business, cost of repairs, hiring
temporary employees, leasing temporary accommodation and equipment etc?
Do you have your insurance company’s details in order to contact them immediately at the ti
of an incident?

ASSESS THE RISKS

Consider what are the most likely and greatest risks to your business? Analyse the risk by ask
yourself the following questions:
• How likely is it to happen?
• What effect will it have on the business?
• How can you cope with it i.e. what do you need to do to stay operational if it takes place?
• What preventative measures can you take to prevent them from happening or minimise th
effect they will have on your business?
• Are you insured against the worst eventualities?

PUBLIC RELATIONS (MEDIA)

Bad publicity or incorrect information given out during an incident can make or break a
company’s reputation. If your business has a major incident then PR will influence how existi
and potential customers, suppliers and all other stakeholders will view your business.
Nominate a company spokesperson, ensure all staff know who it is, ensure that they have som
training in media handling.
During an incident ensure:
• That your company gives out a consistent message
• Staff are kept informed
• Advertisements are placed in local or national papers as needed

GENERAL
Have you prepared an emergency pack? If you have prepared a pack have you included the
following items?
• Business recovery plan
• List of employees with contact details
• Details of IT providers
• Contact details for clients and suppliers
• Building site plan
• Spare keys
• Computer back up tapes/discs
• First aid kit
• Stationary/message pads/coloured pens and pencils
• Torch with spare batteries
• Megaphone
• Tape
• Mobile phone/s fully charged

GENERAL (continued)
• Disposable cameras
• Dust and toxic fume masks
Is your business continuity plan:
• Clearly documented
• Easily accessible
• Understood by key personnel?
Is there someone in your organisation who will have responsibility for maintaining and up-dat
your plan?
 BUSINESS CONTINUITY ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST
This assessment checklist will help you put your business continuity plan together. Th
assessment has been split into sections for ease of reference. Document relevant
details/information/procedures and you will then have a business continuity plan. Not all
the questions may be relevant to your business.

BUILDING FACILITIES
Do you have evacuation procedures for your buildings?
Are the fire exits clearly marked and fire procedures in place? Do you regularly practice fire
drills?
Do you have primary and secondary evacuation points at a suitable distance away from the
building(s)?
Do you have a site plan of your building(s)?
Do you have generator backup systems in place?
Do you have an alternative building to use in an emergency?
i.e. where your business or critical elements of your business could continue to operate from
Do you check on a regular basis that the heating and air conditioning is working?
Have you familiarised yourself and your staff with the location of the mains switches and
valves (electricity, gas, water)?
Do you carry out end of day inspections i.e. to check everybody has left?
At the end of the working day do you have procedures in place to make sure that all applian
are switched off and doors and windows are locked?
Do you regularly check the integrity of external fences and doors?

PERSONNEL
Have you got a list of all employee contact telephone numbers and home addresses?
Do your staff know who is in charge in the time of a crisis?
Have your staff been given specific roles in the event of a crisis?
If your business could not operate from its present location could your staff work from an
alternative location, or some of them work from home etc?
Do you have members of staff with first aid or medical training?

SECURITY
Is there a security system installed? Do you have a security policy?
Do you give advice or training on security? Do you check references fully?
Are contractors checked fully (i.e. company as well as each individual)?

PAPER AND ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS

Do you copy/back up your information?
Do you store your critical paper documents in fire/waterproof containers?
Do you have copies of critical accounts and contracts at a separate location?
Is someone responsible for the upkeep of your files and accounts?

IT
Are your IT systems critical to the running of your business?
If your IT systems went down do you have manual processes that could maintain critical
documentary/administrative functions?
IT (continued)
Do you know how long it would take to recover IT functions if your system went down?
Who would restore your system if it went down and do you have their contact details?
Do you have a tested IT disaster recovery plan? Is your computer anti-virus software up to dat
Are documented IT security policies and procedures in place?
Are all your computer users fully aware of email and internet usage policies?
Is your company system part of a larger network?
Do you know how many platforms/servers/applications or operating systems support critical
business functions?
Is expertise of how to use your IT system, knowledge of where critical documents are
electronically stored etc, limited to one individual?
Do you have vital computer information stored on back up discs held off premises?

SUPPLIERS
Do you have alternative suppliers for critical equipment/ stores/ parts/ goods/ products etc?
Do you have an arrangement with your critical suppliers where they will inform you if they
cannot make a delivery?
Do your suppliers have a business continuity plan?
Do you have your suppliers correct contact details – both office hours and out of office hours?

COMPANY EQUIPMENT
Do you have someone accountable for the assets of your company? Do you have an inventory
and is it regularly checked?
Do you have controls over the movements of your company equipment?

CUSTOMERS
Do you have the correct contact details for all your main customers?
Do you have any key customers who you will need to be in constant contact with during a crisi

LOCATION
Have you thought about the types of risk that might occur due to the actions/operations of oth
businesses near to you?
Have you thought about the types of risk associated with the environment i.e. flooding from
nearby river, snow, severe weather etc?

INSURANCE
Do you have sufficient insurance to pay for disruption to business, cost of repairs, hiring
temporary employees, leasing temporary accommodation and equipment etc?
Do you have your insurance company’s details in order to contact them immediately at the tim
of an incident?

ASSESS THE RISKS

Consider what are the most likely and greatest risks to your business? Analyse the risk by aski
yourself the following questions:
• How likely is it to happen?
• What effect will it have on the business?
• How can you cope with it i.e. what do you need to do to stay operational if it takes place?
• What preventative measures can you take to prevent them from happening or minimise the
effect they will have on your business?
• Are you insured against the worst eventualities?

PUBLIC RELATIONS (MEDIA)

Bad publicity or incorrect information given out during an incident can make or break a
company’s reputation. If your business has a major incident then PR will influence how existin
and potential customers, suppliers and all other stakeholders will view your business.
Nominate a company spokesperson, ensure all staff know who it is, ensure that they have som
training in media handling.
During an incident ensure:
• That your company gives out a consistent message
• Staff are kept informed
• Advertisements are placed in local or national papers as needed

GENERAL
Have you prepared an emergency pack? If you have prepared a pack have you included the
following items?
• Business recovery plan
• List of employees with contact details
• Details of IT providers
• Contact details for clients and suppliers
• Building site plan
• Spare keys
• Computer back up tapes/discs
• First aid kit
• Stationary/message pads/coloured pens and pencils
• Torch with spare batteries
• Megaphone
• Tape
• Mobile phone/s fully charged

GENERAL (continued)
• Disposable cameras
• Dust and toxic fume masks
Is your business continuity plan:
• Clearly documented
• Easily accessible
• Understood by key personnel?
Is there someone in your organisation who will have responsibility for maintaining and up-datin
your plan?
LIST
lan together. The
evant
y plan. Not all

arly practice fire

e away from the

e to operate from?
king?
switches and

e that all appliances

resses?

ork from an

ain critical
nt down?
details?
ftware up to date?

upport critical

nts are

ises?

products etc?
m you if they

of office hours?
ave an inventory

with during a crisis?

operations of other

flooding from

airs, hiring
?
diately at the time
e the risk by asking

t takes place?
or minimise the

r break a
ence how existing
usiness.
at they have some
u included the
ning and up-dating